Cassia grandis L.f.

A medium-sized tree, up to 20(-30) m tall, semi-deciduous, young branches and inflorescence covered with rusty lanate indumentum. Leaves with 10-20 pairs of leaflets, petiole 2-3 cm long, lanate, leaflets subsessile, elliptical-oblong, 3-5 cm x 1-2 cm, subcoriaceous, rounded at both ends. Inflorescence a lateral raceme, 10-20 cm long, 20-40-flowered; flowers with sepals 5-8 mm long, petals initially red, fading to pink and later orange, the median one red with a yellow patch, stamens 10 with hirsute anthers, 3 long ones with filaments up to 30 mm and anthers 2-3 mm long, 5 short ones with filaments 7-9 mm and anthers 1-1.5 mm long, 2 reduced ones with filaments about 2 mm long. Fruit pendent, compressed, 20-40(-60) cm long, 3-5 cm in diameter, blackish, glabrous, woody, rugose; seeds 20-40 per pod, surrounded by sweetish pulp. The roots of C. fistula and C. javanica lack nodulating ability, but for C. grandis this is not clear.

It is reported evergreen in Java and deciduous in northern Malaysia and Indo-China, where the leaves fall at the beginning of the dry season. The tree flowers before new leaves appear. In Costa Rica, fruit takes 10-12 months to mature.

C. grandis is a common ornamental in villages at lower altitude.

C. grandis can be propagated by seed and vegetatively through cuttings and layering. They have a hard seed-coat and germination is improved considerably by mechanical scarification or treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid for at least 45 minutes. In Costa Rica, C. grandis is propagated by means of large cuttings ('apicormic shoots'). Vertical shoots of 15 cm in diameter are cut, trimmed to a length of 2.5 m. These are laid out in the shade for a week and then stacked vertically for three weeks. Then they are planted, with the lower ends buried 50 cm deep. C. javanica is usually propagated by seed, with 50% of the seed producing healthy plants.

Seed can be stored for prolonged periods without loss of viability.

Ornamental: C. grandis has been introduced into Malesian area for ornamental purposes.

Medicine: The fruit pulp is used as a laxative similar to C. fistula and reported to be more powerful. The ripe pods and seeds of C. grandis is also used as a laxative. A decoction of the leaves is used as a laxative and in the treatment of lumbago. Fresh juice of the leaves of C. grandis is used externally in the treatment of ringworm. Timber: C. grandis is also reported to give strong multipurpose wood. Gum or resin: The seeds of C. grandis is a potential commercial source of gums. Seed gum is a potential binder for the pharmaceutical industry.